Improvement in steam-plows



- Patented Apr. 23,1861.

H H W mu 8 m K w t n S 25 3 WW 2 3 N.FETERS, PHOTOMYHOGRAPMER, WASHINGTON. D. c.

ED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JOHN K. SMITH, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

lM PROVEMENT IN STEAM-PLOWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent rte-32,153, dated April 23,1ee1.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN K. SMITH, of Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Steam Plow or Digging-Machine and 'I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear,

and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side view of my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same, takenin the line :1: :20, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a vertical section of the same, taken in the line yy, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a plan or top view of the same; Fig. 5, a diagram, showing the operation of the spades.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of steam-plows in which spades or shares are attached to the periphery of a rotating drum.

The object of the within-described invention is to insure a perfect or proper action of the spades or shares upon or in the soil,so that the desired work may be done in an efticient manner on whatever soil the machine operates, The invention also has for its object the ready elevating of the spade-cylinder above the surface of the ground, when it is desired to have said cylinder inoperative, and also the ready turning of the machine and the clearing of earth or trash from the spades.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to decribe it.

A B represent two frames, whichare of rectangular form and connected together as hereinafter. shown. The front frame, A, is supported by two pairs of wheels, 0 G D D, and the back frame, B,is supported at its backend by a. pair of wheels, E E. The front wheels, 0 O, of the frame Aare attached to a bolsterplate, F, which is connected to frame A by a kin g-bolt, a. The wheels D D are placed loose- I y on an axle, G, and are connected to said axle and disconnected therefrom by clutches H, operated by levers I, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The peripheries of the wheels D D may be pro vided with the usual teeth or spuds, b, to prevent. slipping.

0n the axle G of the wheels D D there are permanently secured two wheels, J J, having h i I i smooth but beveled faces; and Kis a wheel of the same form and construction, which is attached to a lever, L, and the wheel K, by adjusting this lever, may be brought in contact with either of the wheels J, and the wheel K therefore rotated either to the rightor left, as may be desired.

The axis of the wheel K has two pulleys, cd, upon it, and around the lower pulley, c,a chain or rope, 0, passes, the ends of which are attached to the peripheries of segments .L L at the ends of the bolster-plate F, as shown clearly in Fig. 4. Around the upper pulley,d, of the axis of wheel K a rope or chain, f, passes, said rope or chain also passing around guidepulleysg g at the sides of the frame A,'and extending back to the back part of frame 13 at each side, is attached to segments M M, at the end of a bolster-plate, N, to which the axle of the wheels E E are attached, said bolster-plate being connected to the frame B by a kingbolt, h.

To the back part of the frame A there are attached two uprights, O 0, one at each side of the frame, and in each of these nprightsa slot, t, is made, through which pins j, attached to the front end of frame B, pass. connect the two frames A B together, and in consequence of the pins being fitted in the slot i the front end of the frame B is allowed to rise and fall to a certain extent.

The two frames A B support the working parts of the machine, and it will be seen that in consequence of connecting the segments L L M M of the bolster-plates F N to the axes of the wheel K by the chains or ropes cf, and the wheel K by adj usting-lever L, made toengage with either of the wheels J J, the axles of the wheels 0 O E E may be turned simultaneously in radial positions with the circle the machine describes in turning, and the machine therefore may be readily turned either to the right or left. The wheels E E are quite broad, so that they may serve as rollers. The turn: ing of the machine is also further facilitated by loosening one of the Wheels D on the axle G, so that one may turn independently of the other. t

On the axleG there are placed loosely two ratchets, O O, which may be connectedto the axle, when necessary, by clutches g 9, said clutches being actuated by a lever, P. To these These pins ratchetspulleys hare attached, one to' each,

and to each pulley h a chain or cord,i,is connected, the chains or cords t" passing over pulleys j in the uprights O O, and connected at their ends to the inner end of frame B. Whentate freely in its frame, and to its periphery a series of spades, B, are attached by pivots or .pinsj which pass through ears or lugs 7r on -the periphery of the cylinder.

Each spade it is provided with a tang, l, which passes through a slot in the cylinder, said tangs having springs m bearing against them, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. Any suitable number of spades may be attached to the cylinder of the periphery of the cylinder Q.

Within the cylinder Q and on its axis S there is suspended a weight, T, which extends the whole length of the cylinder A and projects down within the path of rotation of the tangs lof the spades, as shown in Fig. 1.

To the ends of the axis or shaft S of the cylinder Q there are attached wheels U V, two at each end of the shaft. The wheels U are larger in diameter than the wheels V, and chains W X pass around them, the chains W of the wheels U also passing around wheels a on the crank-shaft B, which is driven by any suitable steam-engine on the framing, and

thechains X of the wheels V passing around wheels 0 on the ends of the axle G. The

wheelsU V A O are provided with teeth, so

as to prevent the chains slipping thereon.

The machine is propelled along by the rotation of the cylinder Q, the spades R acting upon the earth and serving the double purpose of spades and propellers.

It will befseen, however, that in order that the spades It may perform both of the above,-

named function's perfectly it is vessential that the earth or soil do not give too readily to their action and still yield sufficiently, so that it may be acted uponby the spades. In the'one case the cylinder Q would rotate without propelling the machine along, and in the other case the spades would work over the ground and drive the machine along without digging up the ground. To remedy this difficulty the cylinder Q, although driven directly from the crank-shaft B, has its propelling action controlled or checked by the chains X of the Wheels V O, for as the wheels G are connected to the axle Gr the wheels 1), which are on said axle, are made, by the connection above alluded to, to serve as drivers or drags, as

- maybe required. If, for instance, the soil'be loose and not sufficient] y tenacious to admit of the spades propelling the machine, the wheels D are made to assist, as they would of course, in resting on the ground, serve as drivers.

0n the other hand, if the soil should be hard and offer considerable resistance to the actionof the spades, so that the latter would have a tendency to work over the ground and propel the machine along without perfectly digging up the ground, the WheelsD in this case serve as drags and prevent this imperfect action. Thus it will be seen that the action of the spades is rendered perfect on all kinds of soil.

'1. do not confine myself to the employment or use of chains W X and wheels U V A O, a

as gearing may be used instead. All that is required is to have the wheels of a proper relative size; and I would here state that the spades'R may be made to take any desirable reach or spit by giving more or less backward throw, which may be required in different soils, by'using different-sized wheels, which should always be'kept on hand.

The action of the spades B on the soil is shown clearly in Fig. 5. It will be seen by referring to this figure that the spades have a prying action at their lowest pointand act in a very efficient manner on the soil.

At any time when it is desired to elevate the spades above the surface ofthe ground to render the machine inoperative the inner or front end of the frame B is elevated as previously explained.

The machine will admit of being built extremely light, as weight is not, as in most other steam plowing and digging machines, required in order to obtain sufficient traction. The machine theret'oremay be provided with engines of medium power.

their tangs Z, and the weight'T, forasthe spades leave the ground the tangs l strike the lower part of the weight '1, and the spades are elevated while passing under the weight and released or thrown back by the springs m as they pass from underneath the weight, the sudden action or movement of the spades produced by the springs m causing the earth to be thrown from the-spades.

I would remark that any suitable rolling and pulverizing devices may be used to operate behind the cylinder Q, and a rotary spadeclearing device, A may also be used, if desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 4 1. The arrangement of the segments L M on the bolster-plates F N of the axles of the wheels 0 E, the cords ef, the pulleys c d, and wheel K of lever L, and the wheels J J on axle G, for the purpose of guiding or turning the machine, as set forth.

2. The arrangements of the ratchets 0 on axle G, cords i, passing over the pulleys j and attached to frame B, in connection with the tangs'l of the spades R and the springs m,

the frames A B, connected together as shown, all arranged to operate as and for the purpose whereby the inner or front end of frame EB,- and set forth.

consequently the spade-cylinder, may he ele- JOHN K. SMITH. vated'when desired. Witnesses:

3. The employment or use of the weight T, BARZILLAI RIDGWAY,

suspended on the axle S, in connection with JAMES S. STERLING. 

